The guess here, though, is because outdoor enthusiasts have so much invested in our toys and enjoy them so much, folks will cut back in other places to make their trips possible.
Gas prices were high in the spring of 2006 as well. Many all-terrain-vehicle riders at Little Sahara over the Easter weekend, though concerned and upset, weren't about to give up their idea of fun because of the price of gasoline.
There are ways to compensate for the high gasoline prices. The biggest will likely be to stay closer to home.
One of the great beauties of living along the Wasatch Front is having many wonderful outdoor recreation facilities within a two-hour drive of our homes.
Aided by federal dollars and appropriations from the Utah Legislature over the past decade, the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation has completely upgraded close-to-home state parks such as Jordanelle, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Rockport and Willard Bay.
Campgrounds have been rebuilt and facilities have improved across the board, to the point that it isn't necessary to drive long distances to enjoy spending a day on a beach, boat or personal watercraft or a weekend camping with the kids.
This is in addition to great improvements in some U.S. Forest Service campgrounds and day-use areas along the Wasatch Front and along the Mirror Lake Highway between Kamas and Evanston, Wyo. With new paving, tables, more modern restrooms and part of a national reservation system, these facilities host thousands each weekend.
If there is a problem, it is that these places have been discovered. More and more people use state and federal reservation systems, which makes finding a place at the last minute increasingly difficult.
Again, there is help here as well. While no camping off-site is available along the Wasatch Front, there are such places along the Mirror Lake Highway and in other public lands areas in Utah. The forest service has done an excellent job managing for this type of recreation, as well, by allowing it on a managed basis.
There are also excellent private campgrounds close to home, in Davis County in particular. We spent a delightful overnight stay at the Cherry Hill campground near Kaysville last summer, enjoying the water slide and pool features and the simple act of roasting marshmallows over a fire. Friends tell me they have had similar experiences at Lagoon.
Salt Lake County also provides excellent public parks throughout the valley, where all sorts of open-space activities are enjoyed. Ride a bike along the Jordan River Parkway or the great trail systems in Weber and Utah counties. Tossing a frisbee at Sugar House Park, riding the merry-go-round at Liberty Park or strolling through the Jordan Peace Gardens can be as relaxing as spending a long time driving.
Add to that the many urban fishing ponds the Division of Wildlife Resources is providing anglers, and it doesn't take hundreds of dollars to enjoy a close-to-home outdoor experience.
While high gas prices are a concern, they don't have to prevent families from enjoying vacations in Utah's outdoors.
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* TOM WHARTON can be contacted at wharton@sltrib.com. His phone number is 801-257-8909.
